The Great Escape
by hellabellakellas
Summary: Bella was running from a past and Edward was sprinting towards his future. What happens when they both slow down to find that everything they need may be in their present?


Hey hey kellyoo... whatcha doin??

oh yanno, a lil this a lil that. you?

Ehhhh, pilgrim hunting. The usual. Did you want to start this here fic?

Ooo something new!? DEFFFFFFFFFFFFFF :D :D :D :D

Niceee, but we don't own, remember?

No siree or is it suri now that scientology has taken over? About the only thing it DOESN'T own is this here fic, which SMeyer still does. YOU STICK TO YOUR GUNS LADY!

And stick she will... maybe you could stick some reviews to this one???

Great idea belzo :D

Yeah, so you guys click the button, and we'll write more. Deal?

Deal! - wait that wasn't for me to answer :x

Same diff... it's like the unspoken promise :P

* * *

EPOV

Okay.

Point and Click... point and click. That simple right?

I just had to fucking.... THERE.

What the fuck?

I am not going to a place called... shit I can't even pronounce it. That makes it not an option. Let's try again.

HERE.

Okay. Okay, this I could do. This place has possibilities.

Macau.

I could go to Macau. This... this could definitely happen. Why not? It was far enough away where Rosalie couldn't find me, and yet.... well, who the hell was I kidding, that was the best thing about this place.

That's really how I ended up in this mess.

Three weeks before I made my purchase, my girlfriend of a year and a half informed me that we couldn't get married because she wasn't done 'expanding her horizons'. Evidently, expanding her horizons meant hooking up with everyone sporting mismatched chromosomes. I should have known better. Rose was always a little bit shallow, and I knew that what I saw for her and I was completely different than what she wanted. I needed someone I could count on, and she wanted a warm bed.

That's why I spent the money I was going to use on a house for her and I on a ticket to Macau.

Let me tell you, it seemed like a good idea at the time.

I left Chicago a week and a half later, and my dad drove me to the airport. He was silent for most of the ride over, never telling me that I should probably not do this, or shouldn't I go talk this out with Rose? Nope, not my Dad. He hugged me good bye, and told me to call if I ran out of money.

Yeah, I was 26 and had a decent job, but my dad still offered me money. I loved my parents.

I handed him my phone before I left (I wouldn't need it) and promised to call as soon as I got there and got my hands on a calling card. I waited at my gate for a good hour and a half, and the entire time I remember being afraid that Rose would pop out of the plastic plants framing the gate and drag me back to her lair. I'm not entirely sure that she wasn't capable of such things. I hated that she had me so worked up, and I hated that I had to do this to get over her, but at the same time it was completely necessary. In my 26 years, I'd never done anything adventurous. I was over due. This was going to be my defining moment. I could feel it.

What felt like a million and one years later, I landed Hong Kong and had to take a taxi to my hotel in Macau. The city was unlike anything I had ever seen. Well, no, that's a lie. It looked kinda like Vegas. In fact, I was staying at the Venetian, so really how different was it from Vegas? Or Venice, for that matter.

So for starters, this place was awesome. It was like having everything you could ever imagine all rolled into one place and at your finger tips. It was fuckawesome.

My reality check hit when I piled onto a tour bus the next morning to explore the interior.

Oh, joy.

I sat by myself on the bus, sticking my earbuds in, preparing to watch the country side roll by while the tour guide told us amusing antidotes.

What I wasn't prepared for was Claire, of New Mexico.

She was probably 5'4", and a bazillion pounds. I didn't see her coming. All of a sudden, I felt a hot body pressed up against mine and I panicked, thinking it was Rose. But when I looked two shiny sets of braces were grinning back at me.

Not Rose.

Claire was 19 and on vacation with her parents. They were going to Tokyo the day after tomorrow. She went to San Diego State. She was majoring in animal biology. She wanted to be a vet. She followed me around the entire time we toured the small fishing village about an hour outside the city.

I almost wished Rose was here.

I pried myself away from Claire when the tour guide told us that we were stopping at a restaurant for lunch. Thank God. I excused myself to the men's room and waited a good five minutes until I was sure her parents had caught up with her. I peeked my head around the corner and snuck over to the bar, a good twenty feet away from the rest of my group. I slid into a stool and put my head down on the cool wood.

I thought this was supposed to be about finding myself.

I'd never wanted to lose myself more.

"Hey there. Let me guess - something strong that'll make you forget why you picked this pickled hell?"

I nodded against the wood. "Yes, Please."

I loved this woman. I didn't care who she was; I loved her. She could read my mind.

She slamed down the shot glass, and I heard the liquid flow from the bottle. "Best kind of tequila we have here. First one's on me because you look so miserable. After that you're starting your own tab."

"Thank you." I lifted my head from the bar and blinked a couple of times so I could see my savior. Holy shit.

I didn't know saviors came in fucking gorgeous.

I blinked up at her a few times to take her in. She had wide, warm brown eyes and pale but still glowing skin. Her hair was the same comforting brown and tied up loosely on top of her head. Her mouth... fuck, her mouth. She had the most kissable lips I had ever seen. So full, and so fucking perfect. She was smiling at me as she leaned against the bar, her gray tee shirt hugging her in all the right places.

This woman was divine.

I blinked a few more times. She couldn't be real. People weren't supposed to come in retina scorching hot. And yet, here she was.

Holy shit. Maybe Claire killed me and I just don't know it yet.

I blinked a couple more times. "I'm alive, right? This isn't like someone's idea of a joke?"

She pulled the glass away a little and smiled slyly. "You sure you didn't stop at a bar before this one?" She asked with a laugh. "But yea kid, you're alive and this..." She looked around the bar, then waved her hand around. "unfortunately, is no joke."

"Kid? I bet I'm older than you." I retorted, ignoring what she'd just said. I still wasn't convinced.

"And I bet I'm more sober than you are." She countered, still smiling at me.

I rolled my eyes and sat up completely, "I'm sober, I promise. I'm just not entirely sure this isn't a dream.''

"And why's that?" She raised an eyebrow, but kept my glass.

"Well, for one you're here. And you're gorgeous, and you speak english." I sighed, running my eyes around for Claire, "So obviously, I'm dreaming. I'm probably still on the plane."

She laughed, rolling her eyes. "Saying I'm pretty isn't going to get you any more free shots." She pushed the glass back over to me, then headed back down the bar.

I gulped down the shot she'd left, and it felt pretty real. I watched the bar tender as she did some other bar tender stuff, when I realized.

I was myself just then.

My forehead once again found it's way onto the bar.

Shit.

BPOV

Ah another round of cracker-jack express. That's what I called the local school bus sized caravan that wheeled a group of fresh off the plane tourists around the strip. I'd been here all summer and only had to save for another couple of months before I was onto my next destination.

Personally I wasn't a fan of commitment to anything, men, jobs, or even where I lived. All of those led me to fleeing the country the minute I had my degree in hand.

And I had to admit, while the humidity and rudeness of the majority of the patrons that visited my bar made me question why I stuck around some days, it was the fresh faced, starry-eyed ones that made it worth it.

Macau really was the Eastern Las Vegas in every way; and it brought people together. Granted, I think that was mostly the promise of easy sex, cheap alcohol and winning money but it's not really about the what but rather the why, right?

And the why more often than not, was to escape. Everyone has something to run from and most of the fucking time, it's an attempt to run from themselves.

I glanced down the narrow length of the bar down towards the expat who had once again let his head fall against the counter. Jeeze, what the hell was this guy's problem? Did he just flee some white collar crime job? He looked completely dazed. Maybe he had just gotten here and was adjusting.

I gave an understanding nod his way, even though he wasn't looking in my direction and refilled two customers' glasses. After wiping my hands on the towel that was folded over the front of my jeans I walked over to him ruffling his hair.

Fuck, it was soft.

"Hey 'mericana? You okay?"

He didn't lift his head, and remained quiet for a beat which had me worried. Fortunately just as I was about to rattle his head again he mumbled into his folded arm, "Mhm. What's your name?"

"Call me Izzy. Everyone else around here does." I shrugged, looking over to the cluster of hens he walked in with and noticing that they were all gathering their things. "Hey 'mericana your group of friendly folks is heading out."

"You don't look like an Izzy." He argued, squinting at me as if that would get me to give him a different answer.

I was trying to be patient with this guy, I mean he seemed sweet enough but that was about all the prying I'd allow from him. "Good your head is up, you should do the same with your ass. Your traveling circus group is heading back." I snipped, nodding my head towards the exit they were filing out through.

His brows furrowed and he stood up quickly, scowling silently. "Okay, then." He replied, reaching into his back pocket and pulling out a tattered leather wallet. "How much do I owe you?"

"You only had one drink and that was on the house." I sighed internally with relief as I saw him beginning to make his exit. "Consider it a welcome to Asia-Vegas." I offered, smiling.

"Thanks." He nodded, dropping a couple USD bills down onto the table before turning and making his way to the door.

I picked up his empty glass, noticing that he had thrown down two twenty dollar bills. "Thank- hey, wait a minute!" I shouted running around the bar to catch him at the door, waving the money in my hands. "I think you made a mistake about the tipping." I laughed softly, handing him his cash.

He shook his head waving his hand in front of him dismissively. "No."

"What do you mean 'no'?" I asked pointedly, thrusting the money back at him. "I can't take a forty dollar tip on a 12 dollar shot."

He grabbed the bills and pushed them back towards me, insisting "Yeah, you can. So take it."

I sighed, trying to reason with him. "I'll take it if you let me buy you a noodle bowl and expensive bottle of wine with half of it."

He laughed a little, looking at me as if I had sprouted two heads. "You want to spend my money on me?" He questioned, shaking his head. "You don't even like me. Take it, please." He continued to plead.

"I don't feel right taking it. This is the only way I'll accept it." I furrowed my brows at his additional comment. "And who said I didn't like you 'mericana?"

His eyes softened and he looked at me as if I'd legitimately hurt his feelings. "You practically threw me out of the bar, Izzy. To me, that means you don't want me there." He stated, shoving his hands into the front pockets of his jeans. "Keep it. It'll probably do you more good than me."

I looked just past him as he spoke and shook my head, looking back towards him. "I was not throwing you out, I was just trying to avoid that..." I said gesturing to his cargo bus heading off in the opposite direction. "Guess you're stuck having dinner with me, then. Hope you don't mind eating til 10."

EPOV

Shit.

I spun around quickly watching my bus disappear back down the road.

Shit.

I ran a hand through my hair and looked around the bay. I could see my hotel from here, and the ride didn't seem too bad. I sighed, putting my sunglasses back on. "It's okay. Have a good night." And with that I started walking.

I heard Bartender calling aftter me, so I spun back around. "Hey! You owe me." She grinned. "I gave you a free welcome shot, now I'm offering a welcome dinner. Come on, what else are you going to do? Mope in your hotel room or a casino floor?" She asked, giving me a warm smile as she reached for my hand. The moment her skin touched mine, a bolt of electricity shot through us. I gasped and she dropped my hand quickly and pulled away.

I looked down at my hand then back up at her, "You okay?"

"Yea sorry, I just got an electric shock or something." Her eyes, which had drifted down to our hands, lifted back up and she was smiling once again. "So noodle bowl and chilled bottle of wine from the cellar then?"

I sighed, looking back at the shady bar, then back across the bay. It was kind of far... but I had to get back there somehow. "It's okay. I don't want to impose, and you probably have something better to do than babysit the bumbling American tourist."

"Now I haven't been back in the US for a while, but I'm pretty sure words still mean the same thing. So how can you be imposing if I'm inviting you?" She reasoned, tiliting her head to the side.

I gave her a sideways glance, still facing the other side of the water, "When you're only inviting me because you feel obligated to."

"You know what? Fine. I give up." Bartender took one step forward and shoved the bills in my pocket. "I have no time for people who don't wanna hang out in what little time I've got. Have a nice vacay 'mericana. Hope you manage to successfully escape whatever the fuck made you want to run away from your life in the States. Give my regards to lady liberty when you head home." She huffed, then stormed back into the bar.

I rolled my eyes and let her go safely back in the bar before I went back in. She was already back behind the bar, but was facing away from me. I leaned over the bar and tucked the bills into her back pocket. "Same to you."

And for the second time in maybe 15 minutes, I walked out.

I started down the road a ways, still thinking about the bar tender and what she'd said.

What the hell did she know about my life?

And who did she think she was trying to make me feel bad about giving her $40 on FREE DRINKS? FREE, as in I didn't pay for them. I rolled my eyes, shoving my hands in my pockets. It was dumb. I'd never see her again. Why was I letting it get to me?

Her touch.

There was something in her touch that was unlike anything I'd ever felt before. There was a shock, and it seemed to pass right through my finger tips and back into her. It was probably the single best thing that ever happened to me.

But she obviously hated me, so really what did it matter?

I walked around for about ten minutes before I realized my hotel wasn't any closer, and I had no idea where I was.

Shit.

I didn't even know how to get back to the bar from here.

I found a bench on the side of the road and leaned back, closing my eyes.

Stupid hot as hell bartender.

I sat there for what felt like a million years before I felt some one nudging my foot. "I'm not sleeping, but thanks."

"Yeah I didn't hear anyone snoring and you seem like the type that snores."

My eyes snapped open, "Bartender?"

She laughed a little, " 'mericana?"

I blinked at her, so fucking happy that someone spoke english. I could have kissed her. She'd probably castrate me. "I'm lost."

"No kidding? And here I thought you just wanted to enjoy what little nature this area has left." Bartender was smiling again. I kinda liked it when Bartender smiled. "Come on, I'll walk you to your hotel. Where are you staying?"

"Venetian. But if it's out of your way, that's fine. Just point me in the direction of a phone or a bus or... something." I blinked at her again. She certainly looked real.

"It's no problem, I could use the walk. Being cooped up for 10 hours a day behind a bar leaves me wanting to stretch my legs anyway." SHe gentured to the road. "Ready to jet?"

I nodded and stood following her down the side walk. We walked in a comfortable silence for a little while, and I began to notice that things were looking familiar. I turned back to Bartender.

"I think I know where I am now. You're probably a ways from home, and I don't want to hold you up if you have something to get back to."

"Nope, I'm good. I actually live in one of the hotels further down the road." She told me, "And I was just gonna grab some dinner." There was a breaif pause, and I swore I saw her blush a little. Huh. "But yeah your hotel is down about another 4 blocks and on your left."

I nodded, "Let me buy you dinner, Bartender."

She laughed lightly and shook her head. "Not necessary. A big spender left me a forty dollar tip today."

I laughed, running a hand through my hair. "Bartender, that was me asking you not to leave yet." I took a deep breath, "Wow sorry." And awesome Edward. Just go jump on the girl, that's probably more subtle.

She smiled again, and took another step closer, putting her hand on my chest, "Why're you apologizing?" She whispered, her lips ghosting over my jaw. "You're the one that turned down my offer of a noodle bowl and wine."

Oh, god. "So that's a yes?"

She pulled away, grinning like the Cheshire cat. "Come on, your hotel has a killer sashimi bar."

"Lead the way," I said, gesturing ahead of me so that I could take a moment to adjust my cock. Bartender could not do those things to me, and think it was okay. Not cool. "So," I started picking back up next to her. "Uh, yeah, I got nothing." I laughed nervously and tugged at my hair. Fuck, I'm an idiot.

"So," Bartender began, "who's the girl?"

I squinted at her, "What girl? Just you, Bartender."

She shook her head, laughing at my apparent idiocy. "Not what I meant. Who's the girl that drove you to picking Macau as the destination spot of choice? I've noticed there are only 2 types of guys that come here alone: die hard gamblers and guys with broken hearts. And we didn't meet on a casino floor, so I'm gonna assume you fall into the later category."

I shrugged, sighing slightly. "She didn't break my heart so much as let me down immensely."

"That can suck even more sometimes." She laced her fingers with mine and squeezed. "For what it's worth you seem like a decent guy so I'm sorry we women are such shitfucks."

I gave her hand a squeeze and couldn't help but noticed how perfectly it fit in mine. I nodded, "what about you? How'd you get here?"

"Through Mongolia."

I looked over at her, and I almost had a comeback but I thought better of it. She might have been holding my hand, but there wasn't any doubt in my mind that she could kick my ass. "Cool."

We walked into the hotel, still hand in hand and she tugged me over the restaurant where she got us a table.

I was glad she was here. I couldn't have done this without her. Literally.

Once we were seated, I looked at her again. She was still gorgeous, obviously, but she looked so young. Almost too young. "How old are you?"

"23. Why? How old are you?" She asked, trying to decide before I told her.

"26. You look... young."

"Well I am, compared to you." She teased, not looking up from her menu. "So how long is your let-em-go vacation for?"

"Two and a half weeks. You?" I kept watching her. It was like I couldn't look away.

"I've been here almost 3 months. I think by the end of the summer I should have enough saved to move on to the next place." She sat down her menu, then turned her gaze back to me. "ready?"

"Yeah. You just travel around? What about your family?" Someone had to be missing her.

"Yea, pretty much. And I'm a single child; workaholic father and my mom is kinda flighty so she's always finding the next glittery object to keep her distracted. And I haven't had a significant other in.... over a year - so nope, no one's begging me to come home." She smiled, "What about you? Family? Wife? Fiancee? I can't imagine you'd be running around the world to escape someone who didn't mean everything to you."

I made a face. "More like someone who'd probably kill me if she knew where I was. She dumped me, but she's incredibly possessive. I have one brother, older and that's about it."

"Kill you for running off to Asia or for having dinner with the bartender?" She asked, raising one eyebrow, as I felt her foot slowly start to run up and down my calf.

"Asia. If she found me, I wouldn't have even made it this far." Bartender was coming on strong, but not gonna lie I kinda liked it.

She laughed, dropping her foot from my leg. "Gotcha. So one brother? No parents?"

I laughed, "Two actually. But that's it, I promise."

"Decent amount. Not too many, not too little." She nodded in approval, "Impressive."

"Thanks, I'm proud of them. Where're you from?"

She shifted uncomfortably in her seat, and I tugged at my hair as she flagged down the waiter and we ordered. Fuck, I was such an ass. I let the conversation stall for a second before I spoke.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." I looked down at my hands, twisting them in my lap. "You can go, if you want to. Thanks for walking me back."

She pushed her chair back and threw one of the 20's down on the table. "it is getting late. It was nice meeting you 'mericana, enjoy your trip." She smiled faitly at me, and I felt nothing but pity washing off of her.

I grabbed her hand before she got too far away and put the money back in her hand. "Stop giving this back to me. It's the least I can do since I've gypped you out of two dinners." I gave her hand one final squeeze before I dropped it. "Good luck, Bartender."

Then I turned back to my empty table.

Why did I think this would be fun, again?


End file.
